ame barrel, which he has invented for the punishment of male
citizens, and so he is obliged to be as impotent spectator of their
merry-making.

In the second act he has been liberated by his faithful citizens; the
students have escaped and the maidens are waiting to be locked up in
their place of refuge.--But in the shades of evening the two students,
Berndt and Walter return and are hidden by their sweet-hearts, Lenchen
and Hedchen among the other maidens, after having put on female
garments.--They all have hardly disappeared in the Town-hall, when the
Prince of Dessau arrives with his Grenadiers to seize the students, of
whose flight to Schilda he has been informed.--Ruepelmei tells him, that
he has captured and killed many of them, but the Prince, disbelieving
him, orders his soldiers to search the houses beginning with the
Town-hall. Ruepelmei, remembering the Marquis, implores him to desist
from his resolution, the Town-hall being the nightly asylum for
Schilda's daughters, but in vain. Schlump, the snoring guardian is
awakened and ordered to open {198} the door to the room, where the
maidens are singing and frolicking with their guests.--The Marquis de
Maltracy has also introduced himself, but perceiving that he is a spy,
they all turn from him in disdain; when the Prussian Grenadiers are
heard, they quickly hide him in a large trunk.

The Prince, finding all those pretty girls, is quite affable, and a
general dancing and merry-making ensues, during which the students
vainly try to escape, when suddenly two of the Grenadiers perceive that
their respective beauties have beards.--The students are discovered and
at once ordered to be put into the uniform, while Ruepelmei is arrested
and handcuffed notwithstanding his protestations.

When the third act opens, drilling is going on in the town, and Walter
and Berndt are among the recruits.

Lenchen and Hedwig arrive with the other girls to free the
students.--They flatter the drill-sergeant, and soon the drilling is
forgotten--and they are dancing merrily, when the Prince of Dessau
arrives in the midst of the fun and threatens to have the officer shot
for neglect of duty and the students as deserters. While the maidens
are entreating him to be merciful, Berndt suddenly remembers the French
Courier. He quickly relates to the Prince, that they have captured a
French Marquis, who has a most important document in his possession,
the plan of war. The Prince promisin